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Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 140,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Port Elizabeth and southwest of East London. Makhanda is the largest town in the
Makana Local Municipality Makana Local Municipality is the local municipality which governs the town of Makhanda/Grahamstown and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It forms part of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. The municipality i ...
, and the seat of the municipal council. It also hosts
Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the province's oldes ...
, the
Eastern Cape Division The Eastern Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The main seat of the division is at Makhanda, with subordinate local seats at Port ...
of the High Court, the
South African Library for the Blind The South African Library for the Blind (SALB) is a statutory body with the objective to provide a national library and information service to serve blind and print-disabled readers in South Africa. History The South African Library for the Bli ...
(SALB), a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and
6 South African Infantry Battalion 6 South African Infantry Battalion is an air assault infantry unit of the South African Army. History 6 SAI was established on 1 January 1962, at Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The new training unit was housed on the property previously used by ...
. Furthermore, located approximately 3 km south-east of the town lies the world renowned Waterloo Farm, the only estuarine fossil site in the world from 360 million years ago with exceptional soft-tissue preservation. The town's name-change from Grahamstown to Makhanda was officially gazetted on 29 June 2018. The town was officially renamed to Makhanda in memory of
Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official language ...
warrior and prophet Makhanda ka Nxele.


History


Founding

Makhanda was founded as Grahamstown in 1812 after the Fourth Xhosa War as a military outpost by Lieutenant-Colonel John Graham as part of a campaign to secure the Eastern frontier of the Cape Colony. Initially Colonel Graham decided to establish his headquarters on the loan farm Noutoe, now known as Table Farm, but at the recommendation of Ensign Andries Stockenstrom it was moved to the homestead of the loan farm De Rietfontein, belonging to Lucas Meyer. Construction on the new headquarters, located on the site of the present Church Square, thus began in June 1812. As part of the campaign, Graham was ordered to clear 20,000
Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official language ...
living in the region led by Ndlambe ka Rharhabe from the Zuurveld. During the campaign, which formed part of the Xhosa Wars, Graham ordered the adoption of numerous scorched earth tactics, which included the burnings of Xhosa farms. By 1812, Graham had completed his assignment, and transformed Grahamstown into the central military outpost in the region.


Battle of Grahamstown

On 22 April 1819, a large number of Xhosa warriors, under the leadership of Nxele (or the Xhosa prophet Makhanda), launched an attack against the British garrison stationed at Grahamstown. The Xhosas had warned Colonel Willshire, the commanding officer, of their planned attack on the settlement. It was one of countless attacks launched on the nascent colony by the Xhosas. During the course of the battle, the British were running low on ammunition. The Xhosas, with a force of 10,000 troops under the overall command of Ndlambe's warrior son,
Mdushane The Imidushane clan was founded by one of the greatest Xhosa warriors Prince Mdushane who was the eldest son of Chief Ndlambe, the son of Prince Rharhabe. The Imidushane are therefore a subgroup within the Xhosa nation and can be found in the Ea ...
, were unable to overpower the garrison of some 300 men. Nxele surrendered and was taken captive and imprisoned on Robben Island. On
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
in 1819, he tried to escape but drowned in the attempt.


Growth

Grahamstown grew during the 1820s, as many
1820 Settlers The 1820 Settlers were several groups of British colonists from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, settled by the government of the United Kingdom and the Cape Colony authorities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 1820. Origins After the ...
and their families left farming to establish themselves in more secure trades. In 1833, Grahamstown was described as having "two or three English merchants of considerable wealth, but scarcely any society in the ordinary sense of the word. The Public Library is a wretched affair". As of 1833, it was estimated that the population of Grahamstown was approximately 6,000. In a few decades it became the Cape Colony's largest town after Cape Town. It became a
bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
in 1852. It was traditionally the capital and cultural centre of the Albany area, a district that was traditionally English-speaking and had a distinctive local culture. In 1872, the
Cape Government Railways The Cape Government Railways (CGR) was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways (SAR) in 1910. History Private railways The first railways at the Cape were privately ow ...
began construction of the railway line linking Grahamstown to Port Alfred on the coast and to the developing national railway network inland. It was completed and opened on 3 September 1879. Grahamstown grew rapidly to become the second-largest city in South Africa after Cape Town until 1930. The early 1860s saw the development of more schools, the botanical gardens, and the Eastern District Supreme Court was established. In 1864, a full parliamentary session was held in Grahamstown, instead of Cape Town. There was talk of making Grahamstown the capital of the Cape Colony because of its central position. Grahamstown was the location of the testing of the first diamond find by Henry Carter Galpin. In 1904, Rhodes University College was established in Grahamstown through a grant from the Rhodes Trust. In 1951 it became a fully-fledged University,
Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the province's oldes ...
.


Name change

Makhanda's previous name "Grahamstown" originated from the Cape Hottentot Corps in the Zuurveld's Commander of the Regiment, Colonel John Graham, who, in June 1812, oversaw the construction on the corps' new headquarters, located on the site of the present Church Square. Grahamstown went on to become a religious, military, administrative, judicial, and educational centre for the surrounding region of Albany. Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced the name change from Grahamstown in the Government Gazette No. 641 of 29 June 2018. The purpose of gazetting was to publicise the minister's decision for objections or comments by 28 July 2018. Prompted by a
Truth and Reconciliation Commission A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...
recommendation that geographic features, including geographical names, be renamed as a "symbolic reparation" to address an unjust past, a proposal was for the town to be renamed after Makhanda, in recognition of his failed attack against the settlement's garrison in 1819. On 2 October 2018, Grahamstown was officially renamed Makhanda in the memory of Makhanda.


Religion

A view of St Michael and St George Cathedral in Church street upThe interior of St Michael and St George Cathedral St. Michael and St. George Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown. Makhanda also has Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Ethiopian Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Pinkster Protestante, Dutch Reformed (Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk), Charismatic, Apostolic and Pentecostal churches. There are also meeting places for Hindus, Scientologists, Quakers, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Muslims. The city is home to more than forty religious buildings and is nicknamed the "City of Saints". According to one story recorded by
H. V. Morton Henry Canova Vollam Morton (known as H. V. Morton), (26 July 1892 – 18 June 1979) was a journalist and pioneering travel writer from Lancashire, England. He was best known for his many books on London, Great Britain and the Holy Land. He f ...
, Makhanda earned its nickname from
Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the '' Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...
stationed in Grahamstown in 1846 who were in need of building tools. They sent a message to Cape Town requesting a
vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tr ...
to be forwarded to them from the Ordnance Stores. A reply came back, 'Buy vice locally'. The response was, "No vice in Grahamstown".


Demographics

According to the
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
census the population of Makhanda was 67,264, of whom 78.9% described themselves as "
Black African Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in ...
", 11.3% as "
Coloured Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...
" and 8.4% as " White". Since 1994, there has been a considerable influx of black people from the former
Ciskei Ciskei (, or ) was a Bantustan for the Xhosa people-located in the southeast of South Africa. It covered an area of , almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian O ...
Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official language ...
homeland, which lies just to the east. The first language of 72.2% of the population is
Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official language ...
, while 13.7% speak
Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans grad ...
and 10.8% speak English.


Education, arts and culture

Makhanda is home to
Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the province's oldes ...
, the South African National Library for the Blind, the National English Literary Museum, the
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), is involved in research, education and in applications of its knowledge and research to African fish fauna, for either economic or conservation benefit. The institute originally estab ...
(formerly the JLB Smith Institute), the
International Library of African Music The International Library of African Music (ILAM) is an organization dedicated to the preservation and study of African music. Seated in Grahamstown, South Africa, ILAM is attached to the Music Department at Rhodes University and coordinates its Et ...
(ILAM), the
Albany Museum The Albany Museum, South Africa is situated in Grahamstown in South Africa, is affiliated to Rhodes University and dates back to 1855,Chinsamy, Anusuya. (1997). "Albany Museum, Grahamstown, South Africa." ''Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs''. Edited by ...
, and the Institute for the Study of English in Africa. A number of palaeontological discoveries made from Waterloo Farm in the past two decades have sparked a global interest in the fossils of the Eastern Cape Province and this has resulted in numerous international collaborations. These discoveries and collaborations have been made possible by the persistent work of Dr Robert W. Gess of the Devonian Ecosystem Laboratory, Albany Museum, who has dedicated most of his life excavating and studying blocks of black shale that he, with later support from the South African Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has rescued from road cuttings from back in the mid- 1980s. The legacy of disparate education during
Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid wa ...
still echoes in the provision of secondary education in this former frontier town, where significant discrepancies in matric pass rates and general quality of education exist. Addressing this problem is one of the town's greatest challenges. In March 1984, the City of Grahamstown adopted a flag, one of six designs prepared by heraldic expert Prof. Hugh Smith, of Rhodes University.


Clock towers in the town

The following is a list of tower clocks in Makhanda, with their location and if they are in working order: * St Michael and St George Cathedral, in working order, *City Hall, not in working order, *
Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the province's oldes ...
, not in working order, * High Court, not in working order, * Dutch Reformed Church, in working order, * Observatory Museum, not in working order, * St. Andrew's College, in working order, * Kingswood College chapel, in working order,


Festivals

Two large festivals take place annually in Makhanda: the
National Arts Festival The National Arts Festival (NAF) is an annual festival of performing arts in Grahamstown, South Africa. It is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world by visitor numbers. Th ...
in June/July and
SciFest Africa SciFest Africa, a project of the Grahamstown Foundation, is South Africa’s national science Festival held annually in late March or early April in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The festival features over 600 events including lectures, interactiv ...
in the first term of the year and attracts some 50,000 people. The National Arts Festival is the largest Arts festival in Africa and sees some of the leading talent on the South African and international art scene arriving in Makhanda for a celebration of culture and artistic expression. South Africa's National Science Festival, was established in 1996 to promote the public awareness, understanding and appreciation of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation. Makhanda is also host to the Puku Story Festival since 2013 presented by the Puku Children's Literature Foundation. The festival was created in partnership with the National Arts Festival and the African Studies Department at Rhodes University with the aim to facilitate access to literature and educational/recreational materials in Xhosa.


Schools


Press

Makhanda is home to the oldest surviving independent newspaper in South Africa. ''
Grocott's Mail ''Grocott’s Mail'' is the oldest surviving independent newspaper in South Africa. Founded in 1870 (but incorporating the ''Grahamstown Journal'' which was founded in 1831), this weekly newspaper has survived many years and is today the only ne ...
'' was founded in 1870 by the Grocott family, and bought out a newspaper called the ''Grahamstown Journal'', which was founded in 1831.
Robert Godlonton Robert Godlonton (1794–1884) ("Moral Bob") was an influential politician of the Cape Colony. He was an 1820 Settler, who developed the press of the Eastern Cape and led the Eastern Cape separatist movement as a representative in the Cape's ...
, a previous owner of the ''Journal'' had used it and his other papers to oppose
Andries Stockenström Sir Andries Stockenström, 1st Baronet, (6 July 1792 in Cape Town – 16 March 1864 in London) was lieutenant governor of British Kaffraria from 13 September 1836 to 9 August 1838. His efforts in restraining colonists from moving into Xhosa ...
's treaty system and advocated seizing more land from the
Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official language ...
. It is now a local newspaper operated by the
Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the province's oldes ...
School of Journalism and Media Studies, and still retains its name. As a major centre for journalism training, Rhodes University also hosts two student newspapers, ''Activate'', established in 1947, and ''The Oppidan Press'', a student initiative launched in 2007 that caters mainly to the student population living off-campus.


Government

With the establishment of the
Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Tra ...
the Grahamstown High Court became a Local Division of the newly formed Supreme Court of South Africa (under Cape Town). On 28 June 1957, the Eastern Districts Court, under the name Eastern Cape Division, became a provincial division. In certain other areas of provincial government Grahamstown similarly served as a centre for the Eastern Cape. In 1994, Grahamstown became part of the newly established
Eastern Cape Province The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in 1994 ...
, while
Bhisho Bhisho (formerly Bisho) is the capital of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. The Office of the Premier, Provincial Legislature and many other government departments are headquartered in the town. The town, three kilometres from Qonce and ...
was chosen as the provincial capital. It is the seat of the
Eastern Cape Division The Eastern Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The main seat of the division is at Makhanda, with subordinate local seats at Port ...
of the High Court, as well as the Magistrate's Court for the Albany District. As a result of the presence of a High Court, several other related organs of state such as a Masters Office and a Director of Public Prosecutions are present in the town. A few other Government (mostly provincial) departments maintain branches or other offices in Makhanda. Grahamstown was the only settlement outside Cape Town to host a sitting of the Cape Colony legislature (a move to defuse a call for the creation of a separate colony).


Municipal government

Grahamstown had its own municipality until 2000. Since then, it has expanded into the
Makana Local Municipality Makana Local Municipality is the local municipality which governs the town of Makhanda/Grahamstown and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It forms part of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. The municipality i ...
in the Cacadu District. From 2012, the
Makana Local Municipality Makana Local Municipality is the local municipality which governs the town of Makhanda/Grahamstown and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It forms part of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. The municipality i ...
was unable to reliably provide water to its citizens. The crisis continued to grow during 2013. In 2013, South Africa's minister of water
Edna Molewa Edna or EDNA may refer to: Places United States * Edna, California, a census-designated place * Edna Lake, Idaho * Edna, Iowa, an unincorporated town in Lyon County * Edna Township, Cass County, Iowa * Edna, Kansas, a city * Edna, Kentucky, an ...
was tasked with restoring the water supply of Grahamstown following protests over a nine-day water outage. Causes for the outage include financial mismanagement, with under-spending on infrastructure. The task force established by Molewa had not solved the problem by 2014. A 2021 auditor-general's report found that the municipality’s liabilities exceeded its assets by R813 million (equivalent to US$ 54.2 million) and that it has failed to keep full and proper records. By 2022 senior management was the subject of a criminal investigation and provincial government had to make quarterly reports to the Supreme Court of Appeal on the municipality's financial recovery.


Social issues

In October 2015, more than 500 people were displaced and more than 300 shops looted during a wave of xenophobic violence. Some people use
traditional African medicine Traditional African medicine is a range of traditional medicine disciplines involving indigenous herbalism and African spirituality, typically including diviners, midwives, and herbalists. Practitioners of traditional African medicine claim t ...
because it is believed to be effective. There are some plants which are popular with the people of Makhanda.


Coat of arms

Municipality (1) — The first arms were assumed in September 1862. They quartered an incorrect version of the arms of Graham of Fintry with those of
Jan van Riebeeck Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company. Life Early life Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg, as the son of a surgeon. H ...
(in incorrect colours), with an ostrich as a crest. The supporters were a leopard and a giraffe, and the motto was ''Virtute et opera''. Municipality (2) — In response to a call by the Cape Provincial Administration for municipalities to have their coats of arms checked and, if necessary, re-designed, the city council had a new coat of arms designed by
Ivan Mitford-Barberton Ivan Mitford-Barberton (1896–1976) was a sculptor, writer and authority on heraldry. Early life and education Mitford-Barberton was born in Somerset East, in Cape Colony, in 1896. He was a descendant of several 1820 Settler families. His ...
and
H. Ellis Tomlinson Harold Ellis Tomlinson PhD (1916–1997) was an English educationist and heraldist. He designed many civic and corporate coats of arms, served as heraldic advisor to local government associations, and published monographs on the subject. Early life ...
in 1950. It was granted by the
College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...
on 20 July 1950, and registered at the
Bureau of Heraldry Bureau ( ) may refer to: Agencies and organizations *Government agency *Public administration * News bureau, an office for gathering or distributing news, generally for a given geographical location * Bureau (European Parliament), the administra ...
in September 1994. The new arms were : ''Or, on a pile Gules, three annulets placed 2 and 1 Or; on a chief Sable, three escallops Or'' (in layman's terms : a golden shield displaying, from top to bottom, three golden scallop shells on a black horizontal stripe, and three golden rings on a red triangle). The crest was changed to a plume of ostrich feathers issuing from a golden mural crown, and the supporters were differenced by placing an escallop on each shoulder.


Social movements

In 2017, Makana Revive! an independent civil society organisation was formed. During the first quarter of 2018, Makana Revive made national news when it spearheaded an initiative to repair failing infrastructure and improve the security and hygiene in the CBD. Donations were received from both local and international citizens and alumni. The
South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement is a social movement with branches in Durban, Grahamstown and Limpopo Province in South Africa. It is often referred to as the Unemployed People's Movement or UPM. The organisation is strongly critical ...
has a strong presence in Makhanda.The Rebellion of the Poor Comes to Grahamstown
/ref>


Notable people

* Robert Armitage – cricketer *
William Guybon Atherstone William Guybon Atherstone (1814–1898) was a medical practitioner, naturalist and geologist, one of the pioneers of South African geology and a member of the Cape Parliament. Life He arrived in South Africa with his parents as 1820 Settler ...
– medical doctor, naturalist, geologist, and member of the Cape Parliament. * H. K. Ayliff – British theatre director * Andre Brink – novelist and Rhodes University professor *
Allister Coetzee Allister Coetzee (born in Makhanda) is a South African rugby union coach and former player, currently in charge of the Namibian national team on a part time basis, whilst also head coach of Rugby Rovigo in Italy. He served as the head coach ...
- South African Rugby Head Coach * John 'Jack' Biddulph Dold – Union rugby player and international cricketer * Elize du Toit – British actress *
Kingsley Fairbridge Kingsley Ogilvie Fairbridge (5 May 1885 – 19 July 1924) was the founder of a child emigration scheme from Britain to its colonies and the Fairbridge Schools. His life work was the founding of the "Society for the Furtherance of Child Emigrat ...
– Founder of Fairbridge Schools *
Ernest Edward Galpin Ernest Edward Galpin (1858–1941), was a South African botanist and banker. He left some 16,000 sheets to the National Herbarium in Pretoria and was dubbed "the Prince of Collectors" by General Smuts. Galpin discovered half a dozen genera and m ...
– Botanist and banker *
Robert Godlonton Robert Godlonton (1794–1884) ("Moral Bob") was an influential politician of the Cape Colony. He was an 1820 Settler, who developed the press of the Eastern Cape and led the Eastern Cape separatist movement as a representative in the Cape's ...
- politician, author, owner of Grahamstown Journal * James Henry Greathead – Engineer renowned for his work on the London Underground railway * Nigel Harris – British actor * Sir James Rose Innes – second Chief Justice of South Africa * AJ Kerr – Legal academic *
Johan Klopper Johan Wilhelm Francois Klopper (born 4 October 1972) is a South African former cricketer. Klopper was born at Grahamstown in October 1972. He made his debut for Border in List A one-day cricket against Easterns in the 1997/98 Standard Bank ...
- Cricketer * Robert Jeremy Mansfield – Radio host, television presenter and comedian * Patrick Moran - Catholic Bishop *
Lex Mpati Lex Mpati SC (born 5 September 1949) is a South African judge, Chancellor of Rhodes University, and former President of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa. Early life and education Mpati has deep roots in Grahamstown and the province a ...
- Judge, Retired President of the Supreme Court of Appeal and Chancellor of Rhodes University. * Charles MullinsVictoria Cross recipient * Norman Ogilvie Norton – Cricketer (allrounder) * Mike Pentz – Physicist, born and educated in Grahamstown before moving to the United Kingdom * Alfred Renfrew Richards – Cricketer and rugby union player * George Rowe, Cricketer *
Basil Schonland Sir Basil Ferdinand Jamieson Schonland OMG CBE FRS (2 February 1896 – 24 November 1972) was noted for his research on lightning, his involvement in the development of radar during World War II and for being the first president of the Sout ...
– Physicist, was born and educated in Grahamstown *
Selmar Schonland Selmar Schonland (15 August 1860 – 22 April 1940), originally spelt ''Schönland'', the founder of the Department of Botany at Rhodes University, was a German immigrant, who came to the Eastern part of the Cape Colony in 1889 to take up an app ...
– Botanist * Ian Smith – Prime Minister of Rhodesia, student at Rhodes University *
Josie Wood Josephine Ethel "Josie" Wood (22 January 1874 – 4 April 1965) was a South African educator, co-founder of the South African Library for the Blind and the South African National Council for the Blind. Early life Josephine Ethel Wood was born in ...
– Founder, South African National Library for the Blind


See also

*
Makana Local Municipality Makana Local Municipality is the local municipality which governs the town of Makhanda/Grahamstown and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It forms part of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. The municipality i ...
* Albany, South Africa *
1820 Settlers The 1820 Settlers were several groups of British colonists from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, settled by the government of the United Kingdom and the Cape Colony authorities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 1820. Origins After the ...


Major organisations

*
Diocese of Grahamstown The Diocese of Grahamstown is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It is centred on the historic city of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The diocese extends to East London, in the east and Port Alfred to the ...
*
Grocott's Mail ''Grocott’s Mail'' is the oldest surviving independent newspaper in South Africa. Founded in 1870 (but incorporating the ''Grahamstown Journal'' which was founded in 1831), this weekly newspaper has survived many years and is today the only ne ...
*
International Library of African Music The International Library of African Music (ILAM) is an organization dedicated to the preservation and study of African music. Seated in Grahamstown, South Africa, ILAM is attached to the Music Department at Rhodes University and coordinates its Et ...
*
National Arts Festival The National Arts Festival (NAF) is an annual festival of performing arts in Grahamstown, South Africa. It is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world by visitor numbers. Th ...
* National English Literary Museum *
Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the province's oldes ...
*
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), is involved in research, education and in applications of its knowledge and research to African fish fauna, for either economic or conservation benefit. The institute originally estab ...
*
South African Library for the Blind The South African Library for the Blind (SALB) is a statutory body with the objective to provide a national library and information service to serve blind and print-disabled readers in South Africa. History The South African Library for the Bli ...


Notes and references


External links

*
Historical pictures of Grahamstown



National Arts Festival

Scifest Africa
{{Authority control Cities in South Africa Populated places in the Makana Local Municipality Populated places established in 1812 1820 establishments in the Cape Colony